Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan General Sahir Shamshad received Friday the Chief of the General Staff of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia General Fayyad bin Hamed Al Ruwaili.
The two sides held the seventh meeting of the Saudi-Pakistani Military Committee, where many topics were discussed, most notably the well-established relations between the two brotherly countries, cooperation and coordination in the military and defence fields, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
For his part, Pakistan’s Army Chief, General Asim Munir, also held a meeting with the Saudi Chief of General Staff (photo), and discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation in defense and security affairs, the Pakistani Army’s media wing said in a statement.
On Thursday, General Al-Ruwaili visited Pakistan’s Naval Headquarters in Islamabad and met Pakistan Navy’s Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Naveed Ashraf.
“The visiting dignitary appreciated and acknowledged Pakistan Navy’s efforts and commitments in support of collaborative maritime security in the region,” a statement from the Pakistani Navy said.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia share strong defense ties and security cooperation. An annual tradition involves cadets from the Kingdom, along with counterparts from other Middle Eastern nations, visiting Pakistan to undergo specialized army training. The two nations regularly engage in joint military exercises.
On September 9, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia launched a joint naval exercise near the Kingdom’s Al Jubail city and in August the two countries launched an inaugural joint special forces exercise to benefit from each other’s counterterrorism expertise
Pakistan Navy said both representatives appreciated the successful conduct of the mutual naval exercise in Al-Jubail and “reaffirmed the resolve to further enhance bilateral defense ties.”
“The visit of Chief of the General Staff Saudi Arabian Armed Forces will further enhance bilateral defense collaboration between the two countries,” the statement added.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have long-standing and historic fraternal relations, rooted deep in common faith, shared history and mutual support. The Kingdom is also home to over 2.5 million Pakistanis, serving as the South Asian nation’s top source of remittances.
Riyadh and Islamabad enjoy close cooperation in defense and other sectors, including trade, economy, culture, information and investment. In June, Pakistan set up a hybrid civil-military investment council to attract foreign investment in various sectors including mines, minerals and agriculture.
Earlier this month, Pakistan’s Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said Riyadh had agreed to invest $25 billion in projects that are part of the investment council for a period of three to five years.
